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The job application can be one of the longest and most boring documents that you will ever fill out. Some of them are so in depth and detailed that it may take hours to complete it. The applications vary from company to company and even from job to job. Some will ask for your life history while others will only ask you to go back 10 years or even less. I can tell you as a former interviewer and application processor for a state agency, the government applications can be very time consuming and detailed. Applicants were required to go back to their first job and work their way up to the current date. For some of us older folks, that can mean going back a ways and using a lot of paper. We even required applicants to explain every employment gap on the application. It wasn't uncommon for some applications to be over 50 pages long.
Let's start breaking down the application process and get some tips and pointers for filling out a job application
What is an employer looking for on a job application?
Here we need to use common sense. All employers are looking for some of the same things and almost all are looking for are looking for some completely different things.
Practically every employer is looking for:
How well you fill out the application.
If the application tells you to enter your name in the last name first, first name last format, you need to do it. We actually had to take points off for people who failed to do it correctly. It was under the heading of "follows direction". I am not trying to get petty here but more and more employers are using a point system for the applications. The more points that you score, the better your chance for the all important job interview.
The bottom line is to make sure that you are putting all of the requested information in the correct place and using the requested format.
How you enter your educational information
Most applications will ask for your educational information and some will ask for every school that you have EVER attended. Make a sample application with all of the information that you have had to answer on previous
applications and keep it with you so that the answers do not change. We have had applicants apply for two different jobs with different agencies where things like the educational information or job information was different. When the information was entered in the computer, a red flag would get raised because of the differences and if the labor pool was large, those applications would be dropped to the second tier. The assumption was that the applicant was either a liar or not organized enough. If the labor pool was tight, the rest of the application would be checked over and processed but points would be lost. This is very important in the age of computer technology. Just make sure that your applications all read the same as far as education, dates and pay rates. The description of the jobs that you performed can change some based on the application but we will get into more on that later.
Your employment history
Just like the educational history, some applications will ask for employment for the last however many years while others will ask for a complete history. If you are older and have a lot of job information, this can be a daunting task but it may be well worth the effort to go into as much detail as possible. Remember, a lot of employers, especially state and federal, will give points for each of the knowledge, skills and abilities that they feel are needed to be qualified for the job. It didn't matter that you worked as a cashier twenty years ago, if they are looking for change making ability or retail customer service, that would count on the point system.
How detailed do I get on the job application?
This is your time to shine! The application is where you can go into great detail to make yourself a top candidate. Unless the application asks a question and tells you to keep it to so many words or less, you can sell yourself in detail to the employer. Most applications will even tell you to use another piece of paper if necessary. They want to know what you can do and they want to see how you let them know what you have done in the past, and what you can do for them presently. The most important thing is not to go for a long application for all of the wrong reasons. I have received applications in the past that were so long that they were boring. There was so much irrelevant content that I needed a coffee just to stay awake. If you are applying for a job as a sales representative then focus on the things that matter to a sales job. Things like sales experience, public speaking, customer service etc. You may have to put down that you drove a semi for 3 years but just be brief when you list the things that you did if they do not pertain to the job at hand. Remember to use the keywords on your application as well. Just like the resume, the application is another big step in the hiring process. If you get to the point where you are submitting a job application, this is typically your last shot at impressing an employer enough to get to the interview stage. That is your goal here. Create an informative, detailed (relevant), and living application that sells your services to the employer. You are trying to impress a potential employer to the point that they feel that YOU will make THEM look good. You will bring in sales, because you love to. You will be a good police officer for all of the right reasons. The school board would be better off having you as a teacher in one of their classrooms because you are the one for the job. Tell them why in an application.
The battle for the top
When you are filling out the application, do not do it half heartedly. I know that it can be long and very boring. It may even get repetitive in a bad job market, but you have to keep on going. Give each application your all and keep asking yourself what you would be looking for in a prospective employee and how would that application best impress you. I have always taught that a little role reversal can go a long way in helping you fill out an application. You are now the boss, and it is you money on the line when you hire a new employee. What would impress you? Get a sheet of paper and write down what you would be looking for if you were the one in charge of the hiring. A lot of folks in this position have THEIR jobs evaluated by the outcomes of the the job performance for the new employees that they choose. Think of how important that decision would be if you livelihood depended on the success of your new hires. I know for a fact that some companies offer bonuses and base job evaluations for HR employees depending on the picks for that job new. How can you be the right one?
Honesty on an employment job application
Honesty on an application is of the utmost importance. Do not stretch the truth, embellish or outright lie. It may come back to bite you in the worse way. To show you an example, years ago as a police chief, I was responsible for hiring in my department. We had an opening for one police officer. the requirements were that the applicants had to be done with and pass the academy and have all of the criminal history requirements. We had an applicant that was, on the surface, an excellent fit for our department. He seemed to be a real go getter, motivated and intelligent. He was brought in for an interview and the whole police board liked what we heard. It was then down to 5 people to have backgrounds done and then the second and final interview would be conducted. The officer in charge of background checks was contacting all of the previous employers for each candidate. He contacted a private security company where the young man worked and read off the part of the application that the employee filled out concerning his job and performance while employed with them. A lot of employers will call and read verbatim what is written on the application. After he was done, the former employer stated "he was never in charge of anyone here. He was not a supervisor." On the application, the prospective employee wrote that he was a supervisor for 3 months before he left the company. He stated that he was in charge of 11 people on a job site. We learned that there were 11 people on a job site but he was the only security guard. The 11 people were construction workers and he was hired to watch material overnight to make sure nothing disappeared. Needless to say, that cost him a job. Was it worth it? No! Everything else on his application was very impressive and true. Why lie about something so trivial? I had to asked him and his response kind of shocked me. He stated "I wanted to show supervisory experience somewhere so that I would have it in my background when any promotions were up in the department." How about getting a job first and let your performance ratings lead you into new positions?!?!
The bottom line, keep it honest. That will go a long way and it has even helped people to get a job that wouldn't have otherwise. We ended up hiring an officer that had no police experience but was honest and had a good work ethic. He has been promoted twice in less than 5 years.
The reality of on line job applications
In my humble opinion, when they started accepting online job applications, the employers really hurt themselves. When I did HR work for a state, it amazed me how many people would submit the exact same application to numerous departments without changing a thing on each one. If you are going to do that, at least take the time to
How to fill out a job application. Employment Application Help Tips and Pointers
change the application. Don't omit anything important but if the job qualifications for the jobs that you are applying for are different, highlight the most important ones at the top of each section on the job application itself. Do this on EACH application. I can't express this enough! If you are filling out a job for different positions, but for the same employer...change each application to focus on the needed knowledge skills and abilities! In other words, let's say that you have customer service experience by virtue of being a cashier at a local grocery store. If the job that you are applying for is looking for someone with cashier experience and experience in dealing with the public, you want to highlight that experience first when you list the old employer. If you are applying for a warehouse job with the same company and you have experience at the grocery store that you worked at that would qualify you (maybe you helped unload trucks or stocked shelves as needed), don't send a duplicate application. List the
warehouse experience first on the section where you put the former employers information. TREAT EACH JOB APPLICATION INDIVIDUALLY. MAKE SURE THAT THE REASON YOU ARE QUALIFIED FOR THE NEW JOB IS LISTED FIRST ON THE SECTION WHEN YOU PUT THE JOB DUTIES THAT YOU HAD WITH FORMER OR CURRENT EMPLOYERS.
Now with online applications, a job that used to receive 15-20 applicants can easily get hundreds or maybe even thousands! Take the time to do a good job application. It will up your odds at getting a call for that important interview.
Another little trick that may help you on your job hunt. Check the cut off date for the online applications. If it is more than a week away and you can find the address for the employer, mail them a resume with a cover letter! On the cover letter, mention that you are applying online for the position but your wanted to submit your resume and cover letter as well. This shows initiative and gets your name and employment information in front of the prospective employer twice.
Job application do's and don'ts. How to fill out a professional job application
"The job application can be one of the longest and most boring documents that you will ever fill out"
"If you get to the point where you are submitting a job application, this is typically your last shot at impressing an employer enough to get to the interview stage. That is your goal here."
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